Types of rented accommodation

Unihomes

Unihomes are privately owned houses and flats that the university manages on behalf of its owners. The university currently has around 300 rooms in Unihomes. With Unihomes you sign a contract for the room with the university and pay your rent directly to us. All Unihomes meet high safety standards and are regularly visited by university staff. They are also close to our campuses and are well served by public transport.

The scheme allows groups of up to six students to live together in houses and flats. Houses usually have four to five bedrooms with shared bathroom facilities, kitchen and communal areas, but we do sometimes have smaller properties available. Rooms vary in size and are let on an individual basis.

You must be a full-time student at the University of Brighton to apply.

For more information on how to apply, prices and everything you need to know before moving in, please refer to our Unihomes guide.

Renting from a private landlord

Prices and facilities can vary, so it is worth thinking about your circumstances and requirements before you start looking.

Homestay

Homestay is when you live in someone’s home. It could be with a family, a couple or a single person. The university runs a homestay scheme that allows students to stay with a host for anything from two weeks to six months, or even longer. The scheme only covers students based in Brighton and Hove.

You can choose between catered accommodation and self-catered accommodation and can either have your own room or share with another university student.

Catered homestay accommodation provides you with breakfast and a cooked evening meal. Meals are provided seven days a week. You will have access to the kitchen to make drinks and snacks, which you need to provide yourself.

If you choose a self-catered homestay, you rent a room in the host's home, but need to buy your own food and prepare your own meals. Your host will provide you with storage space in a kitchen cupboard and space in the fridge.

Finding somewhere to live

Online search

Studentpad is the university's online house-hunting system to help students find good quality accommodation. It includes a database of properties which are owned by private landlords in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings who have agreed to make sure that their properties meet our code of standards. Studentpad also has advice on renting and a message board to help you find housemates.

Who can use it?

The service is free and can only be used by University of Brighton and University of Sussex students and applicants.

How to use it

You will need to get a password from the accommodation office. Contact us with your University of Brighton student ID number or UCAS application number and your date of birth to get your password.

Remember, you must always inspect the property yourself to ensure it meets your needs before agreeing to rent it. Just because a property is listed on Studentpad it does not guarantee it will have the features that you want.

Benefits of finding accommodation through Studentpad

You will not be charged any fees.

Properties are vetted by the university.

A wide range of properties are available.

All landlords have signed up to the university's code of standards (pdf), meeting our criteria for quality, safety and security.

Wherever possible properties have been visited by accommodation staff.

We work with the University of Sussex to keep rents to an affordable level. We also work with Brighton and Hove City Council to support their Accreditation Scheme, which aims to raise the standards of rental property management.

We welcome any comments that you may have and will investigate any serious concerns.

House hunting service

Our house hunting service gives you the opportunity to get housing advice and meet other students who are in the same situation as you. We will give you access to our Facebook groups where you can meet other first year students who are also looking for private sector accommodation, as well as ask the accommodation team your questions.

We also hold house hunting meet ups and housing fairs so that you can get advice and meet other students in the same situation as you. Private sector accommodation lists from studentpad and local letting agents are available at the fairs.

Private landlords and letting agents

There are several agencies in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings specialising in student accommodation. However please be aware that there is no requirement for letting agents to be registered with a regulatory body. However, registration with professional bodies such as the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) or the National Approved Lettings Scheme (NALS) is something to look out for.